Cucumber (Zucchini) Yogurt Sauce

I didn't have cucumber when I made this dish. I did have zucchini, however, so that's what I used. I thought the yogurt sauce was perfectly good and even yummy. Chris thought it was just okay, but he's also usually a traditionalist and just wants things the way they're supposed to be. Phooey on me.

Ingredients

1 c. plain low-fat yogurt

3/4 c. chopped English cucumber

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp. minced garlic

Salt

Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients, chill and enjoy!

South African Beef Curry

A true South African Curry would probably use lamb, not beef. To save a little money, however, I think beef is perfectly fine. Use really good quality beef, though. We used medium grade beef and it was a medium grade meal. Here's how you do it. 


Ingredients

• 3  pounds  boned, fat-trimmed beef chuck
• 2  onions (1 lb. total), peeled and chopped
• 1/4  cup  curry powder
• 2  tablespoons  mustard seed
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 1  teaspoon  ground dried turmeric
• 2  cups  fat-skimmed beef broth
• 1 1/4  pounds  Roma tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and chopped
• 2  tablespoons  minced fresh jalapeño chilies
• 2  tablespoons  minced fresh ginger
• 1  firm-ripe banana (about 5 oz.), peeled and thinly sliced
• About 1/2 cup mango chutney
• About 1/3 cup sweetened shredded dried coconut
• Cucumber yogurt sauce (recipe here)
• About 6 cups hot cooked rice
• Salt

Directions

1. Mix the beef with the onions and 1 cup of water. Boil these 3 ingredients, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, turn the heat back to high and stir.
2. Cook until the liquid is gone (evaporated) and some browning starts to occur. This will probably take 6-7 minutes. If there is any visible fat, remove with a spoon. 
3. Combine the curry powder, garlic, turmeric and mustard seed. Add the mixture to the pot and stir. 
4. Add the broth, ginger, chilies and tomatoes. Stir so the bits on the bottom of the pan come up. Return the pot to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for about 2.5 hours. 
5. Set out the toppings in bowls: mango chutney, cucumber yogurt sauce, banana, chutney.
6. Serve the beef curry over rice and add toppings. Add salt to taste, if necessary. 

Aunt Fanny's Baked Squash

3 lbs. yellow summer squash
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. cracker meal or bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 eggs
1 stick butter
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Wash and cut up squash. Boil until tender, drain thoroughly, then mash.
2. Add all ingredients except 1/2 of the butter to squash. Melt the remaining butter.
3. Pour mixture in a baking dish, then spread the melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cracker meal or bread crumbs.
4. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until brown on top.

*This comes from Aunt Fanny's Cabin, a restaurant in Smyrna, Georgia that closed in the 1990's.

Chunky Guacamole

3 medium ripe avocados
1 large tomato (or 2 plum tomatoes), peeled, seeded and chopped
2 T. minced onion
2 medium cloves garlic minced
1/2 medium jalapeño chili, minced, or more to taste (optional – I don’t add it)
1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 T. juice from 2 limes

To minimize the risk of discoloration, prepare the minced vegetables first so they are ready to mix with the avocados as soon as they are cut.

1. Halve 1 of the avocados, remove the pit, and scoop flesh into medium bowl. Mash the flesh lightly with tines of a fork. Stir in the diced tomatoes and add the onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, black pepper and salt.

2. Halve and pit the remaining two avocados, and make 1/2-inch-cross-hatch incisions in flesh with a dinner knife, cutting down but not through the skin. Separate the diced flesh from the skin using a spoon inserted between the skin and flesh, gently scooping out the avocado cubes.

3. Sprinkle the lime juice over the diced avocado and mix the entire contents of the bowl lightly with a fork until combined but still chunky. Adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary, and serve. (Can be covered with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto surface of mixture, and refrigerated up to one day. Return guacamole to room temperature, removing plastic wrap at the last minute test.


*My dad is the creator of this recipe - among many others. I have made this recipe several times since my dad first made it for me a few years ago. I am a serious cilantro lover so I once almost doubled the amount of cilantro in the recipe. This is truly the best guacamole I have ever had. Chris likes creamy guacamole so for him I just put it all in a blender. Awesome.

Bacon Moon Pies

This recipe is from Anh who was inspired by a recipe in some magazine or something. It is a long recipe so to keep you inspired, let me show you what the end result looks like in advance. Get your drool bucket ready...

Mmmmmm.....bacon.

Step One: Fry up one pound of bacon until crispy, reserving all of the drippings. Drain on paper-towel-lined plate, and crumble when cool. 

Elements:

• Bacon Shortbread
• Bacon Caramel Sauce
• Bourbon Marshmallow Fluff (This recipe makes a massive amount of marshmallow fluff, and should probably be halved. However, it allegedly freezes well.)
• Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate (for melting - good quality chocolate is important here to balance all of the flavors)

Bacon Shortbread
1 c. butter
1/2 c. reserved bacon drippings
1.5 c. granulated sugar

4 c. all-purpose flour
Additional 1/4-1/2 c. flour may be required, depending on liquidity of dough
Half of Crumbled Bacon (reserve other half for finished bacon moon pies)

Directions:

1. Thoroughly cream sugar and butter. 
2. Add 4 cups of the flour and mix thoroughly. 
3. Turn out onto a surface floured with remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Knead dough until it cracks on surface. Roll out 1/4-inch thick and cut out with something small-ish (I used a shotglass because the cookies make more sense smaller...). 
4. Prick cookies with fork tines and place on ungreased cookie sheets. 
5. Bake at 275° for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until lightly browned. 
6. Let cool before assembling Bacon Moon pies.

Makes about 4 dozen shortbread cookies, depending on the size of your cookies. These will not expand or shrink much.

Bacon Caramel Sauce

1 c. of sugar
3 T. butter
3 T. reserved bacon drippings
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Makes a little over one cup of sauce.


The website with the caramel instruction is: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/01/how_to_make_the.html

Bourbon Marshmallow Fluff
3 egg whites
2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. confectioner's
1 T. Bourbon

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, corn syrup and salt. Mix with mixer on high speed for 10 minutes (or until thick).
2. Add in icing sugar. Beat on low speed until well blended. 
3. Add bourbon and mix until blended. It's now ready to use or store. 
4. This recipe may be frozen for later use. Remove from freezer and stir until fluff is mixed. It can be kept in the refrigerated for up to 1 week. Stir well with a spoon before serving

To assemble Bacon Moon Pies:

1. Take two shortbread cookies, coat one side of each cookie lightly with Bacon Caramel sauce
2. Put a dollop of marshmallow fluff between the two cookies and put together like an Oreo
3. Repeat until finished
4. Melt 1/2 lb. of semi-sweet or dark chocolate in a double boiler (Anh used a hunk of Callebaut chocolate that she bought at Whole Foods). Allow it to temper before dipping bacon moon pies into chocolate - between 88-95 degrees is when you should dip (a candy thermometer is REALLY helpful here). 
5. Dip shortbread sammich halfway into chocolate, place on waxed paper and sprinkle with reserved bacon crumbles. Allow to cool.

These are really good after the chocolate has hardened and the caramel has had time to soak in, so it's recommended that you make them a day ahead of when you plan to serve them. 

*Lindsay's note: I had one immediately after being dipped in chocolate (I couldn't help myself) and then when the chocolate had hardened. Although both ways are awesome, waiting until the chocolate has hardened really is superior. I have no idea why, it just is.

Canning Beans

More detailed instructions will be posted soon. For now, enjoy the pics!

It took 4 of us all morning to string and break the beans. They've been stuffed in 10 mason jars.

Pour in 1 tsp. or so of salt and boiling water to cover. Teresa gets all of the air bubbles out.

7 mason jars with lids can fit in the pressure cooker, which must be full to work.

The pressure cooker didn't work properly but the jars did finally seal when they cooled enough.

Cole Slaw

1 medium cabbage
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1 carrot, peeled
1 tsp. sugar
3 T. apple cider vinegar
celery seed
1/8 tsp. salt
pepper
mayonnaise to taste

Directions:

1. Shred the vegetables in a food processor.
2. Place the vegetables in a large bowl and add the seasonings, except the mayonnaise.
3. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Mix in the mayonnaise just before serving.